Ward: House fix for GAMC to result in funds for St. Joseph's

A bill passed Thursday in the Minnesota House will provide coverage for the poorest and sickest Minnesotans who will soon lose their coverage under General Assistance Medical Care, Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, said.

The bill passed on a vote of 125-9.

Ward said the solution passed Thursday creates a temporary, low-cost, reformed GAMC. It will cover 85,000 Minnesotans over the 16 months, most of whom make under $3,000 a year, including 8,000 veterans. Eighty percent of this population suffer from mental illness, chemical dependency or other chronic diseases.

"If we did this for these people alone, it would still be worth it," Ward said. "What we are also getting with this bill, however, is more money for our local hospital than the governor's plan, and a huge savings for taxpayers."

St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd will get nearly $2 million over the next 16 months under this plan, he said, compared to $437,000 under the governor's plan. The House bill is also $200 million cheaper for taxpayers than what the governor has proposed, he said in a statement.